AP Comparative Government Unit 4

People's Democratic Party (PDP)

It was founded in August 1998 by members of numerous groups and organizations, including the groups known as G-18 and G-34. The party, which has a broad political base, supports economic deregulation, human rights, and greater funding for health care and education, among other goals

Proportional representation

An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote.

Single-member districts

an electoral district with one seat; the seat is awarded to the person winning the greatest number of votes in the district

Referendum

a national vote called by a government to address a specific proposal, often a change to the constitution

First-past-the-post

an electoral system in which individual candidates compete in single-member districts; voters choose between candidates, and the candidate with the largest share of the vote wins the seat

Multi-member districts

an electoral district or constituency having two or more representatives in a legislative body

Majles

Legislature (Parliament) of the Islamic Republic of Iran with 290 members that represent 207 electoral districts. The main responsibilities are legislation and oversight

Guardian Council

a body of 12 senior clerics and legal experts, vets candidates for office as well as legislation, and rules out individuals if it believes their views or behavior are incompatible with the theocratic system

Assembly of Experts

an 88-member body of Islamic jurists, elected by direct popular vote every eight years. According to the Constitution, its mandate is to appoint, monitor, and dismiss (if appropriate) the supreme leader

Supreme Leader

appoints the head of the judiciary, six of the members of the powerful Guardian Council, the commanders of all the armed forces, Friday prayer leaders and the head of radio and TV. He also confirms the president's election

Expediency Council

Appointed body that mediates between the Majlis and the Guardian Council over legislative disputes

Shiism

A sect of Islam that believe Muhammad 's religious leadership, spiritual authority, and divine guidance were passed on to his descendants, beginning with his son-in-law and cousin

Plurality

electoral process in which the candidate who polls more votes than any other candidate is elected

Chamber of Senators

upper house in Mexico's legislature that consists of 128 seats; 96 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 32 directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms

Chamber of Deputies

lower house in Mexico's legislature that consists of 500 seats; 300 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 200 directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 3-year terms)

Gender quota

Mexico's 2014 electoral reform that at least fifty percent of the candidates fielded by a political party in either federal or state legislative elections must be female

El dedazo

"the pointing finger"; during the seventy years of PRI's dominance in Mexico, presidents were chosen by presidents

National Electoral Institute (INE)

is an autonomous, independent, and specialized public body, responsible for the State function of organizing and overseeing federal elections in Mexico, in addition to collaborating with local electoral management bodies to jointly conduct local elections

Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD)

established in 1989, evolved from the National Democratic Front (Frente Democrático Nacional--FDN), under the leadership of Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas. Cárdenas left the PRI in 1988 in protest over its choice of Salinas, a free-market reformer, as the PRI's presidential nominee. The PRD's party program emphasizes social welfare concerns and opposes most of the economic reforms implemented since the mid-1980s

Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)

Political party that emerged from the Mexican Revolution to preside over an authoritarian regime that lasted until 2000

PEMEX

Mexico's powerful state-owned oil company

National Action Party (PAN)

Conservative Catholic Mexican political party that until 2000 was the main opposition to the PRI

House of Representatives

Lower house of Nigeria's bicameral legislature. It has 360 members

Proportional representation

an electoral system in which political parties compete in multimember districts; voters choose between parties, and the seats in the district are awarded proportionally according to the results of the vote

People's Democratic Party (PDP)

It was founded in August 1998 by members of numerous groups and organizations, including the groups known as G-18 and G-34. The party, which has a broad political base, supports economic deregulation, human rights, and greater funding for health care and education, among other goals

Progressives Congress of Nigeria (APC)

Formed in February 2013 ahead of the 2015 election, the party is the result of a merger of Nigeria's three largest opposition parties. It was a party built on three promises: to rid Nigeria of endemic corruption, fix the economy and tackle security threats

Boko Haram

Islamic terrorist group based in northeastern Nigeria that since 2009 has launched a violent insurgency

Senate

Upper house of Nigeria's bicameral legislature. It has 109 members consisting of three members from each of the thirty-six states and one member from Abuja, the federal capital

Patron-clientelism

Relationships in which powerful government officials deliver state services and access to power in exchange for the delivery of political support

Duma

Lower house of the Russian legislature. A legislative authority that consists of 450 members elected for five years. Its main tasks are adoption of federal constitutional and federal laws, control over the activity of the Russian Government, appointment and dismissal of heads of the Central Bank, Accounts Chamber and High Commissioner on Human Rights, declaration of amnesty, and issues of international parliamentary cooperation

Federation Council

Upper house of the Russian legislature. It is composed of two representatives from every constituent entity of the Russian Federation with one representing the legislative (representative) authority and the other the executive authority, as well as the representatives of the Russian Federation appointed by the President of the Russian Federation whose number shall not exceed ten percent of Federation Council members representing legislative (representative) and executive authorities of Russia's constituent entities

United Russia

Main political party in Russia and supporter of Vladimir Putin

Nomenklatura

Political sensitive or influential jobs in the state, society, or economy that were staffed by people chosen or approved by the Communist Party

Communist Party of the Russian Federation

Successor party in Russia to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

Yabloko

Small party in Russia that advocates democracy and a liberal political-economic system

Liberal Democratic Party of Russia

Political party in Russia with a nationalist and antidemocratic orientation

National People's Congress

China's national legislature; its almost 3,000 members meet only once every five years, and it does not provide a significant check to executive power

Chinese Communist Party

Authoritarian party that has ruled China from 1949 to the present

Chairman of Military Commission

commander of its armed forces, which include the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the Chinese People's Armed Police Force and the Militia

President (China)

Head of state of the People's Republic of China. They are elected by the National People's Congress. They shall serve no more than two consecutive terms

Standing Committee

It is composed of a chairperson, several vice-chairpersons, the secretary-general and other members. They are all elected by the NPC from its deputies for a five- year term, the same as the NPC term

Local People's Congress

There are four levels - provincial, municipal, county and township - which each have a five-year term of office. They have the power to decide on important local affairs in their respective administrative areas

Politburo

The top policy-making and executive body of the Chinese Communist Party. The 24-member bureau is elected by the party's central committee

Maoist principle of "mass line"

Party leaders must be in constant communication between the party leaders, members, and peasants

House of Lords

It is the second chamber of the UK Parliament with 800 members. It is independent from, and complements the work of, the elected House of Commons

Deng Xiaoping

Communist leader of the People's Republic of China from the late 1970s until his death in 1997, he is credited with transforming a listless Chinese society into a strong industrial power by incorporating elements of the free-market system

Command economy

an economy in which production, investment, prices, and incomes are determined centrally by a government

House of Commons

lower house of the UK legislature that has 650 members. It can propose new laws, and can scrutinize government policies by asking ministers' questions about current issues

Liberal Democratic Party

Centrist third party in the United Kingdom and junior member of a coalition government from 2010 to 2015

Conservative (Tory) Party

Britain's most important right-of-center party, in power more often than not for two centuries.

Labour Party

British working-class political party established in the 1890s and dedicated to reforms and a peaceful transition to socialism, in time providing a viable alternative to the revolutionary emphasis of Marxism.

Brexit Party

political party formed in 2018 to have a "clean-break" from the European Union without a deal

Traditionalism

legitimacy based on the belief that an hereditary ruling family had the right to rule, began in this form, gradually grew toward democracy in the United Kingdom

Loyal opposition

The minority party who is loyal to the country, but opposed to the current government

Catch-all political parties

It can earn support from groups with different characteristics, attracting popular support with ideologically diverse platforms

Guanxi

Chinese word for "connection"; it is used to describe the importance of patron-client relationships in Chinese politics

Quangos

Quasi-autonomous nongovernmental organizations that assist the government in making policy

Bonyads

Parastatal foundations made in part from assets nationalized after the Iranian Revolution. In Iran, quasi-private foundations and religious endowments that are charged with aiding the poor by managing many state-owned enterprises

Semi-presidential system

an executive system that divides power between two strong executives, a president and a prime minister

Egalitarianism

the doctrine of the equality of mankind and the desirability of political and economic and social equality

Interest aggregation

the role political parties play to gather individuals with common policy